Dental Check-Up: What a Dental Examination Usually Involves
A dental check-up is an examination of your teeth, gums and mouth, with advice and a date for your next visit. In UK guidance it usually covers your histories, soft tissues, gums, teeth and bite, with X-rays only when needed and a recall interval set by risk. This page explains each part, then gives Deepcar Dental Care's own check-up length, gum screening, recall standard and fees.
5.0 from 550+ Google reviews
Open 8am to 8pm, seven days
Free parking at the door
CQC & GDC registered
No referral needed
Clinically reviewed by Dr Ibraheem Ijaz, dentist · GDC 301711
Medical disclaimer: This page is for general information only. It does not replace an examination or treatment by a dentist.
Dr Ibraheem Ijaz, GDC 301711, the principal dentist at Deepcar Dental Care, reviewed this page. He is a General Dental Practitioner registered with the General Dental Council, and he holds a BDS, a BSc (Hons) and an MSc (Leeds).
What happens at a dental check-up?
At a dental check-up, a dentist examines your teeth, gums and mouth, asks about your health and gives advice. NHS guidance says the dentist should ask about your general health and any problems since your last visit, advise on diet, smoking, alcohol and cleaning, and discuss a date for your next visit. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) calls this routine dental examination an oral health review.
Before any check-up, it helps to jot down the changes you have noticed and any new medicines, so the conversation with the dentist covers everything you wanted to raise.
Our guide to routine dental care places the check-up in the wider cycle of care, and for brushing, diet and fluoride you can browse the prevention section.
What does a dental examination usually include?
In UK guidance, a dental examination usually includes your histories, your head and neck, the soft tissues of your mouth, your gums and your teeth. Guidance from the Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme (SDCEP) sets out these parts, which in general terms include:
- Histories: your medical history and medicines, dental history, smoking, alcohol and diet, and how you feel about treatment.
- Head and neck: the face and skin for swelling, the lymph nodes in the neck, the jaw joints and how wide your mouth opens.
- Soft tissues: the lips and the lining of the mouth, checked in order for patches, ulcers or lumps.
- Gums: a quick screening test called the Basic Periodontal Examination (BPE).
- Teeth: decay, existing fillings and crowns, tooth wear, and how your teeth meet when you bite.
- Dentures or other appliances, if you have them.
In SDCEP's model, the examination ends in a diagnosis, a risk assessment and a personal care plan, with a comprehensive assessment every 24 months for adults or 12 months for children and shorter focused reviews between.
What is a soft tissue and oral cancer screen?
The soft tissue check is a careful look at your lips and the lining of your mouth for patches, ulcers or lumps. SDCEP calls it an important part of any dental examination, and notes that some changes, such as white, red or speckled patches, may cause no pain and are easily missed, particularly with oral cancer in its early, treatable stages.
NHS guidance is to see a GP if a mouth ulcer has lasted more than 3 weeks, or if you have a red or white patch in your mouth, a lump in your mouth, on your lip, on your neck or in your throat, mouth pain that is not going away, difficulty swallowing or speaking, or a hoarse voice that does not go away. The NHS adds that a dentist can also help with ulcers, lumps, patches or pain in the mouth. These symptoms are common and can have other causes, but they should still be checked.
What is BPE screening?
BPE screening is a quick gum check that shows whether a more detailed gum examination is needed. The British Society of Periodontology (BSP) 2019 guideline calls the Basic Periodontal Examination a rapid screening tool, not a diagnosis. The mouth is divided into six sections (sextants), a thin probe is walked gently around the teeth in each, and the highest score is recorded.
| BPE code | What it means in the BSP guideline |
|---|---|
| 0 | Pockets under 3.5 mm, no tartar or overhanging filling edges, no bleeding |
| 1 | As code 0, but the gums bleed when probed |
| 2 | Pockets under 3.5 mm, with tartar or an overhanging filling edge |
| 3 | Probing depth of 3.5 to 5.5 mm |
| 4 | Probing depth over 5.5 mm |
| * | Furcation involvement, where the roots of a back tooth divide |
In the BSP guideline, every new patient should have a BPE, patients scoring 0 to 2 have one at every routine examination, and a code 3 or 4 calls for more detailed gum charting. What a higher score means, and how gum disease is staged, is explained on our page about how gum disease is diagnosed.
Why are bite and tooth wear checked?
SDCEP guidance includes the bite and tooth wear in a dental examination. It advises an occlusal assessment of how the teeth meet, because few dental treatments do not involve the biting surfaces, and noting any jaw joint pain or tender jaw muscles. Tooth wear is recorded with its cause, so prevention can be tailored: erosion from non-bacterial acids, such as in food or drink, abrasion from rubbing such as hard brushing, or attrition from tooth-to-tooth contact, which grinding speeds up.
The NHS says to see a dentist if you grind your teeth and have tooth damage, sensitive teeth, or pain in your jaw, face or ear. Our page on enamel, dentine and pulp explains the layers that wear can reach.
Questions about this treatment? Book online or call the practice.
Are X-rays taken at every check-up?
In UK guidance, no: dental X-rays (radiographs) are taken when they are clinically needed, not automatically at every check-up. Under the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposures) Regulations 2017, every X-ray must be justified, meaning its diagnostic benefit has to outweigh the low radiation risk. If you are, or might be, pregnant, tell the dental team first. Our page on dental X-rays explains the types.
How often should you have a dental check-up?
In NICE guidance, the gap between check-ups is set for each person by their risk, rather than fixed at six months. NICE's guideline on dental recall (CG19) says the interval should be tailored to each patient's disease levels and risk, and discussed with them.
NICE puts the shortest interval at 3 months and the longest at 24 months for adults, or 12 months for under-18s, with the interval reviewed at each check-up. NHS guidance says people with good oral health will probably need a check-up only every 12 to 24 months, and people with more problems more often.
What happens if you need treatment?
If you need treatment, General Dental Council standards say the dentist should explain the options and their possible costs, and get your consent first. The standards also name the risks and benefits of each option, so it is reasonable to ask about anything unclear before you decide.
How long does a dental check-up take at Deepcar Dental Care?
A routine check-up at Deepcar Dental Care takes 30 minutes, and check-ups are with our dentists. Your gums are screened with a BPE at every examination, and the standard recall interval for a healthy adult is 6 months.
New patients, children and practical details
A new patient appointment also takes 30 minutes and is usually available within a few days, and our page on registering with us explains joining. You can complete your medical history online before the visit and bring a list of your medicines. Children are welcome from any age, and we usually suggest a first visit by 3, which is just a look and a chat with no treatment.
Digital X-rays and an OPG machine, used for panoramic X-rays, are on site. The practice is open 8am to 8pm, Monday to Sunday, with free parking directly outside, and our patient reviews show what patients say.
How much does a dental check-up cost at Deepcar Dental Care?
On the current Deepcar Dental Care fee list, a routine patient examination is from £63. For anyone new to the practice, the 'New Patient Examination including X-Rays (30 minutes)' is £39, usually £85, one per person. Fees are starting prices that depend on clinical needs, and our routine fees page shows what it costs for other routine care.
When should you speak to your dentist between check-ups?
NHS guidance is to contact your dental practice if problems start between check-ups, rather than waiting for your recall date. For gums, it says to see a dentist if your gums bleed when you brush or eat hard foods, are painful and swollen, or you have bad breath, and to ask for an urgent appointment if your gums are very sore and swollen or your teeth become loose or fall out.
For toothache, the NHS says to see a dentist if it lasts more than 2 days, does not go away with painkillers, or comes with a high temperature, pain when you bite, red gums, a bad taste or a swollen cheek or jaw. Go to A&E if the area around your eye or your neck is swollen, or swelling in your mouth or neck makes it difficult to breathe, swallow or speak. Do not drive yourself: ask someone to drive you or call 999. Our page on urgent dental care covers emergency examinations.
Frequently asked questions
Is a dental check-up available on the NHS?
Yes, at practices offering NHS care. In England, NHS guidance says a routine NHS dental appointment is charged at Band 1, currently £27.90, which can include an examination, assessment, advice and X-rays if clinically needed. Some people pay nothing, including under-18s, under-19s in full-time education, and anyone pregnant or who has had a baby in the last 12 months.
Is a check-up the same as a hygiene appointment?
No. In NICE guidance, a check-up is an oral health review led by the dentist, with histories, an examination and preventive advice. At Deepcar Dental Care, hygiene appointments are with our dental therapist, and you can book one directly and online, without registering as a patient or seeing a dentist first.
What if I feel nervous about a check-up?
Tell the practice when you book. For anxious patients, Deepcar Dental Care books longer appointment slots, agrees a stop signal before treatment starts, lets you bring someone into the room and offers music or headphones. A first visit can be a talk with nothing done, and our page on care for anxious patients explains the rest.
Check-ups sit alongside the other routine treatments, and you can compare the options in this section or read about routine dental care at our practice on the general dentistry hub.
Book a consultation.
Online in under a minute, or call and speak to a real person.
We look after patients from Deepcar, Stocksbridge and Oughtibridge, and from across north Sheffield, including Wadsley, Hillsborough and Fulwood. Many travel further, from Penistone, Barnsley and Rotherham. The practice is on the A6102 at 334 Manchester Road, and no referral is needed.
334 Manchester Road
Deepcar, Sheffield S36 2RH
0114 288 2121
Contact us
Opening hours
Open 8am to 8pm, seven days
Free parking at the door